National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day is on Wednesday, June 9, 2027, and it falls on June 9 every year. It celebrates the sweet-tart pie that pairs ripe strawberries with tangy rhubarb stalks. Early June is peak season for both in much of the country, so the timing is perfect.
When Is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day?
It’s always June 9. It’s an unofficial food day, not a federal holiday. Farmers markets often have both strawberries and rhubarb this time of year.
Who Started National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day?
No founder or start year has been documented.
Background: how rhubarb became the “pie plant”
Rhubarb likely originated in east Asia, possibly Mongolia, National Geographic reports. The Chinese first used it as a medicine, and ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman healers dried the roots as a laxative.
Its use as a pie and tart filling dates to 18th-century Europe, University of Missouri Extension notes. By the 1830s, sweetened, stewed rhubarb was so popular in America that it earned the nickname “pie plant.”
Why Pair Strawberries and Rhubarb?
Rhubarb is very tart on its own. Strawberries add sweetness, color and juice, while rhubarb adds tang and body. Together they balance each other, which is why the pairing became a classic.
Botanically, the rhubarb stalk is a leaf stem, which makes it a vegetable. Still, a New York court ruled in 1947 that rhubarb was a fruit, based on how people actually use it, in desserts.
The day celebrates a seasonal pie that shows up for only a few weeks each year in many places.
How to Celebrate National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
- Use only the stalks: trim off every bit of leaf before cooking.
- Thicken well: toss the fruit with sugar and cornstarch or tapioca, since both release lots of juice.
- Macerate first: let the fruit sit with sugar for 30 minutes, then drain some juice before filling the crust.
- Vent the top: a lattice crust lets steam escape so the filling sets.
- Cool completely: let the pie rest several hours before slicing for clean pieces.
- Try a crumble: skip the crust and top the fruit with oats, butter and brown sugar.
- Make jam: cook leftover fruit down with sugar for strawberry rhubarb jam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are rhubarb leaves poisonous?
Yes. They contain oxalic acid and should never be eaten, University of Missouri Extension says. Remove the leaves right after harvest and eat only the stalks.
Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, a vegetable. Legally in the U.S., it’s been treated as a fruit since a 1947 New York court ruling based on its use in desserts.
How do you harvest rhubarb?
Pull stalks with a gentle twist instead of cutting them. Don’t harvest in the first year after planting, so the plant can get established.